Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Bulgaria

Bulgaria: Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from was 16.6% in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
16.6%
Change on year
up 19.1%
World rank
37th
of 126 countries
All-time high
16.6%
in 2023
All-time low
0.0%
in 2012
Years of data
23
1999–2023

Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Bulgaria, 1999–2023

0510151999201120231999: 14.2 %2000: 9.9 %2001: 12.4 %2002: 9.7 %2003: 9.6 %2004: 8.1 %2005: 7.7 %2007: 6.9 %2008: 6.3 %2009: 6.4 %2010: 5.5 %2011: 5.6 %2012: 0 %2013: 7 %2014: 7.6 %2015: 8 %2016: 8.8 %2017: 8.9 %2018: 9.4 %2019: 10.4 %2020: 12.7 %2021: 14 %2023: 16.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

Bulgaria recorded 16.6% for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in 2023. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.

That represents a change of up 19.1% on the previous year and up 137.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Bulgaria peaked at 16.6% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2012.

That places Bulgaria 37th out of 126 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.

Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Bulgaria, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Education programmes, both sexes (%) in Bulgaria, 1999 to 2023.
Year % Change
1999 14.2%
2000 9.9% -30.1%
2001 12.4% +24.2%
2002 9.7% -21.8%
2003 9.6% -1.0%
2004 8.1% -15.3%
2005 7.7% -5.1%
2007 6.9% -10.0%
2008 6.3% -9.6%
2009 6.4% +1.7%
2010 5.5% -13.9%
2011 5.6% +1.9%
2012 0.0% -100.0%
2013 7.0%
2014 7.6% +9.1%
2015 8.0% +4.9%
2016 8.8% +10.1%
2017 8.9% +0.9%
2018 9.4% +5.7%
2019 10.4% +10.6%
2020 12.7% +22.3%
2021 14.0% +9.6%
2023 16.6% +19.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 14.2% 14.2% 14.2% 1
2000s 8.5% 6.3% 12.4% 9
2010s 7.1% 0.0% 10.4% 10
2020s 14.4% 12.7% 16.6% 3

Countries ranked near Bulgaria

  1. 34 Seychelles 17.1% compare
  2. 35 Spain 16.9% compare
  3. 36 Brazil 16.7% compare
  4. 38 Eritrea 16.4% compare
  5. 39 Palestine 16.1% compare
  6. 40 Ecuador 14.8% compare

See the full ranking of 126 places →

More education data for Bulgaria

All data for Bulgaria →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Bulgaria?
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Bulgaria was 16.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in Bulgaria?
The highest recorded value was 16.6% in 2023.
What is the lowest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in Bulgaria?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2012.
How does Bulgaria rank for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from?
Bulgaria ranks 37th out of 126 countries with data for 2023.
Is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from rising or falling in Bulgaria?
Over the last ten years it is up 137.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Bulgaria data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Education programmes, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Bulgaria. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-graduates-from-tertiary-education-graduating-from-education-programmes-both-2/bulgaria/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Education programmes, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
126 places, 1,867 data points, 1998–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release